Would your religion pass this test?

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Dead_pool, Jul 5, 2018.

  1. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

  2. Mitch

    Mitch Lord Mitch of MAP Admin

    It'll be interesting to see if the client, who had complete faith in the healer and was following his instructions, will actually be convicted for murder. "Interesting" from my position on this comfy sofa, as opposed to his position in a Nigerian jail, of course, poor fella.
     
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  3. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

  4. Morik

    Morik Well-Known Member Supporter MAP 2017 Gold Award

    There was a recent case in the US similar to this. A man thought a bullet (from a .50 caliber desert eagle...) wouldn't go through a phone book 1.5" thick according to the article I just found to refresh my memory, though my recollection was that it was a regular phonebook, which would be several inches thick.
    Anyway he convinced his girlfriend to fire at it from a foot or so away, on camera, as part of a big stunt. They had family there too. She was prosecuted.
    Woman Who Fatally Shot Boyfriend in YouTube Stunt Pleads Guilty
     
  5. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    Of course the first example would obviosly not work, whereas the second example seams like he was wearing some sort of vest that he believed was stab proof, slash resistant clothes, and hoodies made with kevlar are getting popular atm, it would be easy to misunderstand them and think they're stab resistant.

    The phone book thing is an urban myth, but based on seemingly plausable physics.
     
  6. Mitlov

    Mitlov Shiny

    That's the most curious thing to me. Would a magician's assistant face criminal liability if the magician messed up the stunt and ended up killing themself? (Say, chaining them up and dumping them into water, and their Harry Houdini escape failed and they drowned).
     
  7. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    You'd think, though, that dude would stand the phone book against a wall and shoot it, expecting to say, "See, no mark on the wall! The phone book stopped it!" (Of course, the hole would actually continue through the wall, and the bullet would be in the neighbor's house, and ...)

    You'd think, though, that dude would put his vest on the countertop, and stab it, saying, "See, the knife won't touch the countertop!" And then he'd be surprised by all the scratch marks.

    (sigh) :rolleyes: You can't fix stupid, except with the Darwin Award.
     
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  8. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    Well ... lack of intent by the of the assistant knocks out murder and voluntary manslaughter, and lack of negligence on the part of the assistant knocks out negligent manslaughter ... yep, sounds like a winner for the defense lawyer! :)

    For the faith healer, though ... I struggle to say it was reasonable to believe his charms would stop a bullet. I can appreciate cultural variations, but ... really ... :rolleyes:
     
  9. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Honestly see no difference in the Nigerian guy thinking his faith would stop a bullet and all the other billions of people that think their faith protects them from disease, helps them survive nasty accidents, helps them win an mma match, helps their child survive in intensive care while the children of other devout parents die around them, helps them in business, get a touchdown, etc etc.
    At least this guy was sincere in his beliefs.
     
  10. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    Ya, part of me totally respects him for putting his beliefs up to the test. Kudos for putting it on the line, and I'm very sorry it didn't work out. But ... but saying that's the same as those other things ... I don't know anybody outside a Darwin Award list who thinks faith protects from disease, but the other stuff is not on the same level as a bullet charm. Just not the comparable to me. (shrug)
     
  11. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    You've honestly never heard anyone, anywhere fall ill, ask for prayers (or people ask for prayers on their behalf), they get better and then claim the prayer helped cure them?
    Because I think you're being a tad disingenuous about that.
    There are whole evangelical congregations laying on hands, falling over with the power of the holy ghost, casting off their walking sticks, etc.
    You've never seen anyone survive an accident and say "Someone up there must be looking out for me"?
    Many religious fighters step into the octagon and do a little prayer as they do so. Presumably a prayer so they may perform well or beat the other guy or get through the fight without serious injury (to them or the other guy). How is damage from a bullet different to damage from a person?
    Someone I know has Irish family and was telling me the other day people visit other people in the community that have "the cure" for common childhood ailments and problems. And I don't mean actual doctors that have actual cures. I mean particularly religious people in the community that can bring in other powers. Faith healing basically.
    How are any of those things different to some guy believing his faith or charm spell or whatever can stop bullets? He's just choosing a rather fatal, and easily disproved, belief rather than some nebulous "god moves in mysterious ways" type of stuff.
    It's all just "some external power, magic or charm will intervene on my behalf" wishful thinking.
     
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  12. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award


    Many many people who get seriously ill/injured, and then Recover in hospital, say "thank god I'm better, god must be looking out for me, etc etc," it's actually pretty rare for someone to thank the drs/surgeons/nurses etc who actually saved there life.
     
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  13. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

  14. aikiMac

    aikiMac aikido + boxing = very good Moderator Supporter

    Cure after the fact, yes. Protection beforehand (which is what I thought you meant), no.

    Ya, and I think they're frauds who should be prosecuted. They're taking money from people through deceit.


    Is it Windex, by chance? :D

    The prayers for healing gives hope. It's a time-proven way of coping in times of trouble, the world over. The bullet charm, though ... I think we proved it doesn't give hope.
     
  15. Mitlov

    Mitlov Shiny

    I've heard Christians pray for protection before a potential injury plenty of times. It's not uncommon before a military deployment for military families to ask for prayers for the safety of those being deployed. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with such prayers, but for the record, they certainly do happen.

    Prayer for the Safety of a Soldier - Prayers - Catholic Online

    Or stuff like this, where some folks in Arizona pray for "your hand of protection" for "him and his unit, wherever they may be"?

    "Joe and his girlfriend Ashley joined us at The Singing Pig BBQ Restaurant in Williams, AZ after graduating from Ft. Huachuca Army Base. He's getting ready to be deployed so our singer, Dave Remender offered up a prayer of safety for this young man. God Bless the military who protect us and please bring Joe safely back to his Ashley."

     
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  16. LillyLambert

    LillyLambert New Member

    are such things exists? I mean "Ghosts"
     
  17. Bluecollar

    Bluecollar New Member

    Probably cause if I was daft enough to do that, my Gods would just laugh at me and tell me 'You can't stop a bullet and live to talk about it Son. You aren't one of us.'
     
  18. Guthrie

    Guthrie Member

    Really, you would be hard pressed to find any religion to pass a test on its effectiveness.
     
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  19. pgsmith

    pgsmith Valued dismemberer

    I am impressed with any restaurant that calls itself "The Singing Pig" :)

    All the rest of it, not so much.
     
  20. Xue Sheng

    Xue Sheng All weight is underside

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